Load-brake apparatus.



No. 808,703. PATENTBD JAN. 2, 1906. W. V. TURNER.

LOAD BRAKE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lll Il-Il WITNESSES INVENTOR Nb. 808,703. PATBNTED JAN. 2, 1906.

W. V. TURNER. LOAD BRAKE APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 1, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fifarraga No. 808,703. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. W. V. TURNER.

LOAD BRAKE APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1904 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

2 'f/zesses: hug/25 rrnrrnn s'rArns PALENT enrich WALTER Vi TURNER, OF VVILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOAD-BRAKE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed April 1, 1904. Serial No. 201,167,

In aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER V. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing atWilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Load- Brake Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to air brake apparatus and particularly to what is known as load brake mechanism, that is mechanism designed for braking the cars in proportion to the loads thereof.

The first of the objects of the present invention is the provision of means whereby the braking force of a car can be set either for a loaded car or alight car and whereby the operation of the automatic appliances on the car will be supplemented by the addition of other mechanism designed to control the flow of air from the triple valve to the brake cylinder when the load brake mechanism is in operative position and which will be cut out when the manually actuated means for cutting out the said load brake mechanism is turned in different position. While I have shown my improvement herein as applied in conjunction with such manually actuated means for determining whether the car shall be braked as a loaded or light car, still it is to be understood that the same mechanism is applicable where automatic appliances may be employed for making the change from the load brake to the light brake car or vice versa.

A still further'object of my invention which I accomplish by the provision of a modified form of the mechanism employed in the preferred construction is, the provision of means whereby when the passage from the triple valve to the brake cylinder is cut off at a predetermined point so as to prevent the accumulation 01 more than a certain amount of force in the cylinder, then so much additional air as is vented by the triple valve from the reservoir in continuing the application may, if desirable, be discharged through such im proved modified mechanism so as to cause the reservoir of the car which is acting as a light car brake to be vented during the act of applying the brakes to the same degree as the reservoirs on other cars of the train whereby equal or simultaneous action in release is secured.

It has been heretofore proposed to provide air brake mechanism with devices for throttling the passage between the triple valve and the brake cylinder at a certain pre-detemined point in order to prevent the accumulation of more than a given amount of pressure in the cylinder when the car has no load upon it. character heretofore used however have only shut off the supply from the triple valve to the cylinder and have made no provision for further reduction of the reservoir pressure, whereby the cars which are throttled in this manner are left after a full application with a higher reservoir pressure from which it is more difficult to effect a release of the brakes causing these cars to be the last to let go, and in some instances especially where several such cars are toward the rear end of the train rendering the train liable to be pulled in two.

The above as well as such other objects as may hereinafter appear, I attain by means of a construction which I have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view showing the apparatus employed under a car in conjunction with my improvement, the same illustrating a cylinder, reservoir and triple valve with a portion of train pipe and my automatic valve mechanism applied in conjunction with said other parts;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of my improved valve mechanism taken on a horizon tal plane on Figure 1;

Figure 2 is a small detail sectional view of a certain feature of the improvement Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to the view given in Figure 2 but in which a slight modification of the improvement is illustrated; and

Figure4 is a sectional view showing a modified form of my apparatus in which the additional air vented from the reservoir after the cylinder is cut off is discharged to the atmosphere to allow the reservoir on the car in which this improved apparatus is used to be reduced in pressure the same as other reservoirs under the train.

So far as I am aware devices of this Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that I have therein shown a portion of tram plpe 4 with a branch pipe 5 leading to a triple valve 6 which is attached to an auxiliary reservoir 7 that is connected through the triple valve and pipe 8 and past the three-way cock 9 with a brake cylinder 10 of usual construction.

The branch pipe 5 has an extension 11 projected around to connect with a valve mechanism indicated at12 which also has a connection by means of a pipe 13 with the auxiliary reservoir as shown and another connection by means of the pipe 14 with the brake cylinder and still another connection by means of the pipe 15 with the three-way cock 9.

The valve mechanism indicated at 12 is shown on a larger scale and in section in Fig ure 2 to which reference will now be made. It will be seen that the same comprises a casing 16 within which are mounted two pistons 17 and 18 connected respectively with slide valves 19 and 20.

The train pipe connection is at 21 the auxiliary reservoir at 22 the pipe leading from the triple valve to the cylinder at 23, and a brake cylinder connection is at 241, while the chamber at the right of the piston 17, that is the. chamber 25 which contains the slide valve 19, is provided with an enlargement by means of a reservoir 26 connected as shown. At 28 there is an outlet to the atmosphere which in the position of the parts shown creates a differential of pressures on opposite sides of the piston 18, as will be understood when further description of the operation of the apparatus is given.

From the position of the several connections just above referred to it will be obvious that the piston 18 is balanced between auxiliary reservoir pressure and the pressure of the brake cylinder when there is any pressure admitted past the triple valve in making applications of the brakes, while the pistoni17 is balanced between train pipe pressure and the pressure in the chamber 25 at the right of the piston 17 which is in connec tion with the expansion or enlargement chamber 26. The valve 19 which is connected with the piston 17 is arranged so that, in normal position, it will be held by the spring 29 in the position shown where the port 30 leading from the train pipe to the seat of the valve will be closed. When an increase in train pipe pressure is made, however, the valve 19 will be forced to the right against the pressure of the spring 29 and connect the port or passage 30 with the passage 31 establishing communication between the train pipe and reservoir.

The valve 20 actuated by the piston 18 controls the passage 23 leading from the triple valve to the brake cylinder and, in the position shown, uncovers said passage. It

also controls the opening or outlet 28 to the atmosphere whereby differential pressures are produced on the piston 18.

The operation of my improvement is as follows:

Supposing the apparatus to be set with the three-way cock 9 in position so that air in order to pass from the triple valve to the brake cylinder will pass through the pipes 14 and 15 and the mechanism shown in Figure 2, if now an application of the brakes be made a reduction in train pipe pressure is first effected after which there will be an automatic reduction in auxiliary reservoir pressure which will as the application increases reduce the pressure gradually on the left side of the piston 18 until it has reached such a point that the pressure on the piston 18 at the left is overcome by the pressure of the spring 34 and the air which comes from the triple valve into the cylinder through the opening 23 and bears on the right side of the piston 18 within the rings marked 33 when the piston will be moved to the left against the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir the movement being aided somewhat by the increased area exposed until it strikes the gasket 35 where the piston will stop and make a tight seat on the gasket leaving the slide valve 20 in position to close the port or passage 23 and cut off further flow of air from the triple valve to the brake cylinder, and also to close the port 28 leading to the atmosphere. It will thus be seen that by properly proportioning the strength of the spring plus the area of the piston 18 of the right side within the rings 33, and the area between the rings 33 and the rings 36 the slide valve 20 can be caused to cut off the flow of air from the triple to the cylinder at any desired point. If thus it be arranged that the maximum pressure in the brake-cylinder on a load is about twice the maximum pressure desired on a light car the proportionate areas and spring can be so fixed that the piston 18 will move the slide valve 20 at just the right point to cut off the flow from the triple to the cylinder when one half of the pressure in the cylinder has been accumulated on a light car.

The brake having been thus applied and the valve 20 having cut off the passage 23 leading to the brake cylinder any further reduction of pressure in the train pipe will not of course produce any further reduction in the auxiliary reservoir pressure on that particular car and after a full application has been made it will require a higher pressure in the train pipe to release that brake and any other brake on the train not similarly governed. In order to overcome this difficulty I provide the mechanism embodied in the valve 19 and the piston 17 whereby when the train pipe pressure is increased slightly above the pres sure at the right of the piston 17 the piston 17 will be pushed over against the strength of 1 o the spring 29 and the pressure on the right side of the piston 17 and when it moves over will connect the passages 30 and 31 and thereby permit the reservoir pressure connected through the passage or opening 22 to flow back into the train pipe and equalize the train pipe and reservoir on that car after which the triple valve of the car will perform its function in releasing in the usual manner. At the same time that this reduces the auxiliary reservoir pressureit increases the train pipe pressure aiding to effect the release of the brakes.

It will be observed that the chamber at the right normally contains train pipe pressure since said chamber is of small capacity and there is some leakage back and forth past the piston, and the increase at the left only acts temporarily or until equalization takes place. Thus the valve 19 and the piston 17 really act as a quick action release device since the piston moves responsively at each increase in train pipe pressure (because of the pressures on its opposite sides being normally maintained at equalization) whereby the higher pressure of the auxiliary reservoir is allowed to flow to the train pipe and this besides facilitating the release of that particular brake as stated above aids in releasing the other brakes.

As a means to prevent the valve 20 from being raised off its seat by the superior pressure acting in the port openings under its face as occurs at times during the operation, I have provided the said valve 19 with certain port openings indicated in Figure 2 at 10 which port openings are arranged so as to communicate with the atmosphere through passages 41 and create a preponderance of pressure above the valve tending to hold it to its seat.

As it is obvious with the mechanism thus above described the cutting off of the flow from the triple to the brake cylinder would interfere with the release unless some other means were provided for taking care of such function of the brake I have introduced a small check valve indicated at 43 held by a spring 12 this check valve preventing any flow of air from the triple to the cylinder through that passage in making applications but opening when the return flow occurs in the direction indicated by the arrows so as to allow the cylinder pressure to flow back through the opening 23 and out at the triple valve exhaust in the usual manner.

In Figure 3 I have indicated a slightlymodified form of the improvement in which it will be seen by examination of the drawing I utilize the same slide valves 19 and 20 and the same pistons 17 and 18 and a similar disposition of port openings and so far as concerns the piston 18 and slide valve 20 the same arrangement and operation of all the several parts but in which the piston 18 is balanced between train pipe pressure and pressure in the cylinder admitted from the triple valve instead of being balanced between reservoir pressure and the pressure in the cylinder as is the case in the device of Figure 2. Thus it will appear that in the device shown in Figure 3 the reduction in tram pipe pressure directly effects the movement to the left of the piston 18 and the closure of the passage from the triple valve to the brake cylinder and in the release of the brakes in the device shown in Figure 3 the increase in train pipe pressure tends to move the piston 17 to the right against the resistance of the spring 29 and the air on the right side of the piston 17 and establish communication between the passages 50 and 51 whereby the train pipe is put into communication with the auxiliary reservoir that communicates through the port opening or passage 22 so that the reservoir having higher pressure than the equalized pressure on the other cars can be slightly reduced in pressure by the air flowing through the passages 51 and 50 and back into the train pipe as soon as the increase in train pipe pressure has moved the valve 19 over to the right.

In FigureA I have shown a modification in which the only parts employed are the slide valve 20 and the piston 18 for actuating said valve together with the ports and passages controlled by the same, the other parts of the mechanism being omitted but the several passages being slightly changed as indicated in said Figure 4. Thus, in that figure for example, when the passage from the triple valve 33 leading to the brake cylinder which is connected at 24, is cut oif by movement to the left of slide valve 20 the recess or cavity 50 in the under face of the slide valve establishes communication between the passage 23 and the escape to the amosphere 28 so that further action of the triple valve will allow the pressure that comes through 23 to escape to the atmosphere at 28, and thus the reser voir under this car will reduce at the same rate as the. auxiliary reservoirs under other cars in the train during the operation of setting the brakes, which will leave this reservoir when full application has been made with the same equalized pressure as will be found in the other brakes of the train, and eliminate the necessity for the other slide valve 19 and piston 17 as a means for bringing about the reduced reservoir pressure desirable in effecting prompt release in the other forms of the improvement. This apparatus I have not described as preferred construction because the other form of mechanism saves some of the air that it permits to flow from the reservoir back to the train pipe, raising the train pipe pressure and aiding in the release of the brakes, whereas the surplus here is wasted to the atmosphere.

In connection with the apparatus shown in Figure 4 I have also indicated a cut out cock 51 designed to establish open communication when desired between the triple valve passage 28 and the brake cylinder 24 and to be capable of cutting oft such communication when the automatic action of the slide valve is desired. Thus provision is made in this modification for changing from light to load brake.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. A load brake apparatus comprising in combination with a train pipe, auxiliary reservoir, cylinder, and triple valve, a valve mechanism having a casing provided with connections leading from the triple valve to the cylinder and a connection to the train pipe, a valve controlling said connections from the triple to the cylinder to cut off the flow of pressure on a light car, a movable abutment for actuating said controlling or throttling valve, said abutment being actuated by differential pressures on its opposite sides the one side being exposed to the pressure in the brake cylinder, substantially as described.

2. A load brake apparatus comprising in combination with a train pipe, auxiliary reservoir, cylinder, and triple valve, a valve mechanism having a casing provided with connections leading from the triple valve to the cylinder and a connection to the train pipe, a valve controlling said connection from the triple to the cylinder to cut off the flow of pressure on a light car, a movable abutment for actuating said controlling or throttling valve, said abutment being actuated by differential pressures on its opposite sides the one side being exposed to the pressure in the brake cylinder and the other side being exposed to train pipe pressure, substantially as described.

3. A load brake apparatus comprising in combination with a train pipe, auxiliary reservoir, cylinder, and triple valve, a valve mechanism having a casing provided with connections leading from the triple valve to the cylinder and a connection to the train pipe, a valve controlling said connections from the triple to the cylinder to cut off the flow of pressure on a light car, a movable abutment for actuating said controlling or throttling valve, said abutment being actuated by differential pressures on its opposite sides the one side being exposed to the pressure in the brake cylinder, and means for reducing the excess of pressure in the auxiliary reservoir when the load brake is in operation for light car service, whereby to secure prompt release of the brakes, substantially as described.

4. A load brake mechanism for automatic air brakes comprising in combination, means for throttling the flow of air from the triple to the brake cylinder, and mechanism whereby to reduce the excess of pressure remaining in the auxiliary reservoir when the flow from the triple to the cylinder is thus throttled, so as to secure prompt release of the brakes, substantially as described.

5. A load brake apparatus comprising in combination with a train pipe, auxiliary reservoir, cylinder, and triple valve, a valve mechanism having a casing provided with connections leading from the triple valve to the cylinder and a connection to the train pipe, a valve controlling said connections from the triple to the cylinder to'cut ofi the flow of pressure on a light car, a movable abutment for actuating said controlling or throttling valve, said abutment being actuated by differential pressures on its opposite sides the one side being exposed to the pressure in the brake cylinder plus that of a spring, substantially as described.

6. A load brake apparatus comprising in combination with a train pipe auxiliary reservoir, cylinder, and triple valve, the valve mechanism having a casing provided with connections leading from the triple valve to the cylinder and a connection to the trainpipe, a valve controlling said connection from the triple to the cylinder to cut off the flow of pressure on the light car, a movable abutment for actuating said throttling valve, said abutment being subject to differential fluid pressures on its opposite sides, the pressure on one side being that of the brake cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunder signed my name in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER V. TURNER.

Witnesses:

PAUL SYNNEsrvEnT, CHAs. H. EBERT. 

